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The 22 MW Seti Khola Hydropower Project, constructed in Pokhara Metropolitan City–33, Kaski, has started generating electricity. Power produced by the project, promoted by Seti Khola Hydropower Limited, has begun flowing into Nepal’s national transmission system on a trial basis.

According to Deepak Baral, director of the project, electricity generation commenced after a technical team from the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) completed inspection and testing of the project. The plant will initially remain under a 15-day trial operation, during which electricity will be injected into the national grid while the project’s systems and equipment undergo technical testing.

Construction of the project began in December 2021, with an initial target of starting generation by December 2025. However, the project was delayed due to the lengthy approval process for forest clearance related to the transmission line. Baral said that three of the five transmission towers were located within forest areas, requiring additional approvals that delayed completion.

The project’s intake dam is located in the Tiklang area of Pokhara–33. Water is conveyed through a 3,106-meter-long tunnel to the powerhouse at Lower Punditar, where two 11 MW turbines have been installed.

Built with a total investment of Rs 5.05 billion, the company plans to issue an Initial Public Offering (IPO) to the general public within the next fiscal year after the project enters full commercial operation.

The Seti River has recently seen increasing hydropower development. Since last year, the 25 MW Seti River Hydropower Project, promoted by Vision Lumbini Urja Company, has been operating commercially. Currently, more than half a dozen hydropower projects are either in the early stages of development or under construction in the Seti River basin.

Jalasarokar